After leading team-mate Fernando Alonso home at the Malaysian Grand Prix Giancarlo Fisichella said a onetwo finish had been Renault's goal all weekend.

A similar result had not happened in 24 years and the Italian realised it was a difficult target given the depth of competition at the start of the new season.

Honda's Jenson Button finished a close third but Renault are on a roll going to Melbourne, where Fisichella won last season, in a fortnight.

He said: "For Renault a one-two was the target but other people are really close to us.

"We had a great car in the qualifying session and again today, apart from the graining on my tyres after the pitstops.

"It was the perfect race, it was a tough race physically, mentally because it was so hot. But I was quite confident and quite comfortable in the car.

"It was a great feeling in Melbourne last year, I hope my bad luck was in Bahrain (where he retired with engine trouble) and I want to keep going and score a lot of points for me and team.

"Melbourne is not my favourite track but I have fantastic memories. The package is really good and the potential is there to fight for the win."

After a fuel rig problem handicapped him in qualifying, Alonso was prepared to gamble at the start to make up places.

Starting seventh, he was third by the first corner, where he was able to consolidate before launching a series of quick laps, which leapfrogged the world champion over Button by the time of he came to his second and final pitstop.

He felt he had the pace to win but settled for the eight points as title rivals Kimi Raikkonen, who crashed out, and sixth-placed Michael Schumacher faltered.

"Starting from pole, I think I was quick enough to maybe win the race, but these things happen," Alonso said.

"I just tried to manage the race after what happened in qualifying and we managed to score eight points, which is more than we predicted.

"From lap 12-13 the gap was too big to 'Fisi' and Jenson, they were very fast, and at the end of the race I was concentrating on getting Jenson. Fisi was too quick today.

"To finish on the podium means to be consistent for the championship if I want to win it again. This race is more important than the first race to me because the points gap to Raikkonen and Michael has opened.

"Probably this is my favourite circuit, I've always been quick here and there seems to be something special with this track."

Button was left to once again contemplate what might have been after starting second and sounding bullish before the race.

His quest for a first win goes on, although he believed there were mitigating circumstances.

He said: "We want to be winning races so just to make the podium is disappointing. But these guys have proved how quick the Renault is, especially around this circuit.

"I was held up by Scott Speed for quite a few seconds just before my second stop and that cost me a lot of time - maybe that was enough to come out the pits in front of

Fernando. But looking at the full picture, we're just not as quick as the Renaults.

"We finished 30 seconds ahead of next car and some of that was down to Fernando holding them up at the beginning, but even so it's just the Renaults that seem to be very, very quick and have the edge over us.

"We are their closest rivals but we are still not quite on their pace. The car is not where we wanted or expected it to be and we have to make a step forward in a couple of places.

"I've got an idea where we're losing out to them, but I'm going to keep that to myself.

"We've just got to hope we solve the issues we've got in testing next week and move forward because somebody needs to challenge them."